Change of Fate
by fairlystrange
Summary: Abandoned as an infant, the only family Lucy Heartfilia has ever known is Fairy Tail. She has no records of her past or where she came from, no idea of who her parents are. This doesn't bother her much growing up, but as she begins receiving strangely familiar signs she begins questioning who she really is. (Mainly NALU.)
1. Chapter 1

August 7th, X767.

* * *

The matter was urgent.

An infant child wailed as it was placed gently in a basket, swaddled in woolen blankets, unhappy with its mother for putting it down. The woman smiled sadly at her daughter, brown eyes glittering with tears that slid down her rosy cheeks as she tucked the baby safely in the carrier.

There was no other choice.

The mother of the crying child leaned in to kiss the newborn sweetly on the forehead, effectively quieting the girl's sobs. Her little eyes opened to stare at the blonde woman, who nearly broke down when her daughter smiled at her, unaware of the situation at hand. All she wanted to do was hold onto her baby tight and cuddle her forever, but that was wishful thinking. In a perfect world, perhaps that would be exactly what she would do.

Alas, their world was not perfect. A hand on her back made her look back to see her husband standing over her, pale eyes soft as he gazed back at her. Chest tightening, the woman nodded before turning back and lifting the basket off of the ground. Her daughter was no longer crying, now contentedly sucking her thumb. The cloaked woman's heart broke at the sight, knowing that she could never share a happy moment with her child again.

The small family was greeted by wind and rain as they stepped out of the hotel they were formerly seeking refuge in. The blonde man drew his own hood over his head, grimacing as rain was gusted into his face. He kept close to his wife, guiding her through the dark as they made the journey to their destination. They had chosen to do this early in the morning, so they had a lesser chance of being seen by others. This was a private, family matter that no stranger had an liberty knowing about.

Soon they arrived, a flash of lightning highlighting the grand building before them. The woman stared up at it for a moment, biting her lip before approaching. Her husband kept a reassuring hand on her shoulder as they went up. Their daughter was beginning to fuss again; they needed to be quick. Tears were beginning to fall from each parent's eyes as the mother set down her child, making sure to keep her out of the rain as best as possible. She cooed to the baby as she made sure the blankets were secure, as it was a bitterly cold night. Once she had finished, she fished something from her cloak's pocket. One object was a slip of paper, while something gold glinted in her hands as lightning lit up the sky again. She hid the items safely beneath some of the cloth, hoping that only the intended person would find them.

"Goodbye, my little star," the woman whispered to the infant, who continued to whimper as if now aware of what was happening. The man leaned down to kiss his daughter on the cheek for the last time, smiling as she grabbed for his face. "We will always love you, matter what."

The woman rapped on the door a few times before hurrying back to her husband. As thunder rumbled overhead, the two sorrowful parents turned away from their only child, disappearing into the darkness a few moments later.

* * *

. . .

* * *

A sudden knocking on the guild's main entrance was what woke Master Makarov.

The old man was always a light sleeper, so it wasn't too shocking that it had. He had only just fallen asleep after a long night of paperwork and wasn't too happy to be awoken at such a time. Grumbling, he hopped out of his bed, opening the door to his room to walk into the guildhall. The room was dark and silent, a large contrast to what it was like during the day. With such a rowdy group of mages, a peaceful day of rest was a rare occasion around Fairy Tail.

Sighing as he reached the door, Makarov unlocked them was a large key before prying the wooden panels open. He frowned to see no one standing there, hoping it wasn't a ding-dong ditcher again, before he heard a small whimper. The old man's face paled as his gaze slowly panned down.

There, wrapped in blankets and placed in a basket, was an infant sitting upon the guild's welcome mat. Her face was red from crying and, despite all of her blankets, was shivering from the cold. Makarov gulped as he bent down to pick up the basket. He puffed with effort as he struggled to do so; the thing was nearly his size. Wincing as lightning flashed and the wind picked up, the tiny man hauled the baby inside of his guild.

Carefully placing her on the ground, Makarov turned back to the door to lock it back up. As he did so, he heard a voice behind him. "What're you doing up, Gramps?"

The Master froze at the question, turning to see his grandson, Laxus, standing at his bedroom door. Since he was Makarov's kin, he was allowed a place to stay within the guild, unlike the majority of Fairy Tail who either had their own homes or stayed at the bunkers.

After securing the door, Makarov cleared his throat and beckoned the boy over. Unquestioningly, he trotted over, looking curious instead of tired. It only took a gesture to the basket for his dark eyes to widen. "Is that…?"

The old man nodded grimly. "Yes, it's a child." He bent down to pick her up before something caught his eye. A slip of paper sat atop the many blankets. Makarov frowned when he saw "Makarov" scrawled hastily on the front of the paper. He lifted it up and turned it over, squinting in attempt to read it in the dark. "Laxus, turn on the lights, would ya?"

The boy obeyed and rushed to get them on so they could both read what the note said. The little girl was fussing again, still recovering from being exposed to such weather.

The note read:

"This is Lucy. Please take good care of her, for it is no longer safe for us to keep her.

Thank you for understanding."

\- L. H.

The guildmaster's brows furrowed as he looked over the words, slightly disappointed in how short and vague it was. After reading it over his grandpa's shoulder, Laxus asked, "Who's 'L.H.'?", although Makarov couldn't supply an answer.

Lucy's fretting was growing louder and more persistent the longer she spent cooped up in the basket. Expression softening, the man handed the paper to Laxus before stooping down to hold the child in his arms. As he did so, something fell from the blankets, making a loud, clattering sound as it met the wooden floor. Eyebrows raised, Makarov looked down to see what it was, but Laxus scooped them up before he could even tell what they were.

The boy gawked at the golden keys before showing them to his grandpa, whose eyes widened. "The Zodiac keys…," he whispered, marvelling at what he saw. The baby squirmed in his arms, eyes screwed shut as she continued to whine. He looked back at her, realization dawning on him as he gazed at the little blonde girl. "Well, Lucy," he murmured. "Welcome to Fairy Tail."

* * *

. 10 years later, July 7th, X777 .

* * *

"Cana, you're 13, _please_ stop eyeing that barrel of alcohol."

The brunette pouted at her blonde friend, crossing her arms as she replied with, "Lucy, you're 10, _please_ stop telling me what to do," in a mocking tone. Said girl rolled her eyes at the elder mage, sighing as she gave up on arguing with Cana. Instead, she turned to Levy, who, as normal, had her face stuck in a book. It was a new one; she had already finished the one she had informed Lucy on yesterday. Even though she liked to read, nothing could compare to the blunette's great passion for books.

Lucy parted her lips to ask her about her current novel when the doors of the guildhall swung open. Everyone paused what they were doing to see who had returned; the blonde had to crane her neck to see around the crowd of people.

Standing at the open doors was Master Makarov and what appeared to be a boy with wild, pink hair. Lucy's dark eyes grew wide; a new guild member? They seemed to be multiplying every week. She sprang off of the bar stool and hurried over to the front, pushing past people who got in her way. She stopped to get a better look at the kid, who looked only a little intimidated by the amount of people staring at him. Lucy's curious gaze shifted to Makarov when he cleared his throat, getting anyone who wasn't already listening to do so. "Everyone, meet Natsu Dragneel, the newest addition to the Fairy Tail guild."

The crowd of mages let out a welcoming cheer at the news, obviously interested in knowing just who this boy was and where he came from.

The boy, Natsu, was taking in the applause with a large grin that showed off a pair of sharp canines. Lucy peered at them; she'd never seen anyone with such jagged fangs. She wondered what kind of magic he was capable of.

"What kind of magic does he even use?" A critical voice answered her thoughts as Gray appeared at her side. The new kid's smile faltered at the remark and he sent a glare to the dark-haired boy. "I'm the Fire Dragon Slayer," he huffed, lifting his chin in a challenge. His dark eyes suddenly lit up when he noticed something and his smirk returned when he said, "What happened to your shirt, Stripper?"

Gray looked down at himself, shocked to find that indeed, his shirt was missing along with his pants. He groaned loudly before walking away to go relocate his clothing. Lucy couldn't help but giggle at the exchange between the two boys.

Makarov's eyes sparked with interested at the mention of Natsu's magic. "Dragon slayer, eh?" He remarked, eyes drifting over to where Laxus stood. The tall, blonde teenager was glancing at the Fire Dragon Slayer, seeming more than unimpressed with the younger mage. Lucy stifled a sigh at his antics; he really was becoming stuck up. "We have the Lightning Dragon Slayer right here. Laxus' his name." Natsu's wide eyes shot over to the older boy, who continued to be bemused.

"Really?! Then I wanna fight him!"

A couple snorts of laughter met his courageous words, amused at the young slayer's confidence. Natsu glared at them, obviously thinking that he could easily take on the S-Class mage. Laxus only rolled his eyes with an exasperated huff that sounded almost like a laugh. Natsu became crestfallen at that and Lucy couldn't help but feel bad for him.

Sudden footsteps announced the arrival of Erza Scarlet, heading straight for the pink haired boy. She scrutinized him for a moment, looking quite intimidating to the younger mage. After a few more seconds of awkwardness, her lips suddenly broke into a smile as she stuck out a hand towards him. "Welcome to Fairy Tail, Natsu Dragneel. I'm Erza Scarlet, a Requip mage." Natsu blinked at the taller girl in shock before tentatively taking her hand, wincing as she grasped it and shook it with a strong grip.

After Erza moved aside, other guild members began lining up to greet Natsu. He looked ridiculously happy from where Lucy stood, as if he'd never experienced such warmth from humans before. Then again, it would be hard not to smile with complete strangers seeming excited to meet you. Lucy waited until the last person had greeted him to go meet Natsu herself. The blonde's chocolate brown eyes sparkled as she said, "Hi, I'm Lucy. Welcome to the guild!"

Natsu beamed back at her. "Nice to meet you, Lucy!" He bounced on his toes a little before asking, "What kind of magic do you use?"

Lucy faltered at the question, casting a glance at Makarov. He raised his brows at her briefly, as if telling her to it was okay to tell the boy. Regaining her cheerful expression, the girl replied, "I use Celestial Magic with the Zodiac Keys." She left out the part where she only barely knew how to use them. With no celestial wizard around to teach her, it was almost impossible for her to learn how to summon her spirits.

Natsu's eyes narrowed at Lucy for a moment, looking thoughtful. "Celestial Magic, huh… sounds familiar for some reason." He was quiet for moment before shaking his head, brushing it off. "I don't know why, though. Anyways, that sounds really cool." Lucy couldn't help but blush at his compliment.

Makarov, on the other hand was looking a little suspicious. How would such a young boy, who had lived in the woods for his whole life with a dragon, know about celestial magic? Perhaps the dragon had taught him before disappearing… Realizing that the two youngsters had vanished, Fairy Tail's master snapped out of his thoughts and looked around to see that Lucy had dragged Natsu off to meet more people. Levy and Cana were now chatting with Lucy and Natsu, Cana waving over the Strauss siblings a moment later. Mirajane, the oldest of the bunch seemed uninterested while her brother and sister, Elfman and Lisanna, chatted enthusiastically with Natsu. Makarov smiled softly to himself at the sight, knowing that he had made a wonderful decision that morning.

. . .

"So, Natsu, what was it like living with a dragon?"

After a hearty lunch prepared by some of the volunteer workers, all of the children in Fairy Tail were crowded at one table, basically interrogating Natsu about his life story. Lucy and Lisanna were seating beside the new kid, while Levy and Cana resided by their blonde friend. Gray and Erza leaned over the end of the table, while Elfman sat next to his younger sister. Standing behind him was Mirajane, arms crossed over her chest as she supervised her siblings.

Natsu was still stuffing his face with food as if he hadn't eaten in weeks, unable to answer Gray's question. The dark-haired boy had shed his shirt again and was now looking irritated that Natsu wasn't answering him.

"Hey, Flamebrain, didja even hear me?"

The insult caused Natsu to freeze and shoot a blazing glare at Gray, who returned it with an icy one. "I'm trying eat, Stripper!" He answered furiously, voice muffled by the bread stuff in his mouth. Gray bared his teeth at the pink-haired mage, ready to hurl back an insult when a certain redhead slammed her palm down on the table. The entire table recoiled back, fearfully looking towards Erza, whose gaze glinted dangerously. "Quit bickering, _now,_ " she growled at the two boys, who were both petrified by her. In unison, they stammered out a "yes m'mam", Natsu quickly going back to finishing his meal.

After a moment, Lucy timidly spoke up when Natsu was finally through eating. "What was it like living with a dragon?" She asked, truly interested in knowing about such a creature. She had only heard vague myths and legends about them and wondered if what Natsu claimed was true.

Wiping his mouth, the fire mage opened his jaws to speak when suddenly, a skeptical Mirajane interrupted. "How do we know if you're not lying about Igneel? For all we know, being raised by a dragon could just be something you easily made up to look cool." The boy she was addressing looked completely taken aback by her comment before his expression quickly became anger.

"Why would I lie about my dad? He _raised_ me and taught me everything I know. About food, writing, reading, magic, all that stuff! And he even gave me this!" He gestures to his scarf, dark eyes blazing at the surprised she-devil. "It's made of his belly scales, made especially for me. A-and look! I can breathe fire, just like a dragon." Inhaling deeply, Lucy was amazed to see actual fire lighting in his mouth. Her friends leaned in with wide eyes as he prepared to release the flames, only being a little careful of not charring their faces off.

Finally Natsu exhaled, releasing a little blast of flames that was enough to make the curious children scoot back in their seats to avoid the heat.

He grinned triumphantly at Mirajane, who looked annoyed by being proven wrong. "Whatever," she scoffed before twirling around and flouncing off. Lisanna and Elfman stared after their sister with worried eyes, but an impressed grunt from Gray distracted them. "You really are a Flame-brain." This time, Natsu grinned with glee at the comment.

"I guess you don't have to tell us the story anymore," Lucy chuckled to Natsu, thinking that he had shown them exactly what it was like with his fiery demonstration. However, Natsu looked at her with round, disappointed eyes. "You don't want to hear about it anymore?"

The blonde shook her head, blushing apologetically. "No, no, go ahead! We'd be glad to listen!"

Look relieved, the young mage turned back to the crowd, who began leaning in with interest once again. "Alright, so, we started everyday with a hunt to get our breakfast, and then…"

* * *

 _this fanfiction was an unexpected, unplanned one, the plot coming to me suddenly. even so, i'm proud of this story and i can' t wait to start fleshing this whole thing out._

 _even though i'm starting this doesn't mean i'm pausing my other fics. i'll continue to write them as much as possible._

 _don't forget to follow, favorite, and/or review!_

 _until next time, fairlystrange._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Happy**

* * *

X778.

* * *

"Has anyone seen Natsu?"

Lucy looked up from the book she was reading to see Erza looking around with her hands placed on her hips authoritatively. "He was supposed to join me in another lesson today."

The redhead had taken Natsu under her wing to help him learn the ways of the real world. The young dragon slayer had resisted at first, but it didn't take long for him to finally succumb to Erza's constant persistence. Lucy hadn't been surprised that he ultimately gave in; a scary Erza wasn't someone to argue with. So far, an improvement has slightly shown in Natsu, however his sudden outbursts have yet to cease. Every day he would get into a fight with someone, particularly Gray, for no reason at all. It was tiring to get him to calm down and it normally took Lucy coming over and reading to him, along with Lisanna.

Lucy shook her head apologetically at Erza. "Sorry, I haven't seen him recently. He's probably gone out." Natsu often would get moody and would have to go off on himself, to where nobody was sure. More times than not, his friends would try going after him, but he every time he would shrug them off. Lucy had stopped trying to follow when he left; she learned to respect his privacy after he yelled at her for being nosy.

The redhead gave a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose while shaking her head. "You're most likely correct." She straightened up with an irritated scowl, obviously displeased with her student's absence. Natsu was wasting the time she had set aside to tutor him and she was not happy about it. She could have easily gone out and practiced her skills. The S-Class test was approaching and she needed all the time she could get to hone techniques and perfect some of the bumpy areas.

"Why are you worrying about that pyro, Erza? He obviously doesn't care about-"

Gray was suddenly cut off when someone burst through the doors. In came Natsu, carrying something quite large and strange above his head. Lucy's eyes widened as he announced, "I found an egg!"

Sure enough, it was an egg. It was big and white, with spiraling blue patterns all over it. The rest of the guild marveled at it, wondering just what resided within the shell.

"Where on earth did you get that from?" Master Makarov was in his usual place, perched atop the bar with a staff in his hands. He narrowed his eyes at the object, a little concerned that Natsu could have possibly brought a dangerous creature into the guildhall. However, the young mage seemed ecstatic, more enthusiastic than anyone about his discovery. "I picked it up in the East Forest!" Erza frowned at this, finding out where he had been this entire time.

"What's this? Natsu actually did something useful?"

Lucy turned a glare on the raven-haired ice mage, looking ready to defend her friend when Cana suddenly appeared, pointing out that Gray's clothes had, again, disappeared. The blonde relaxed and laughed at the boy as he gawked at himself, clearly baffled as to how his clothes had vanished so quickly.

Natsu glared at Gray next, struggling to keep a firm grip on the heavy egg. "You've gotta be kidding me! This is a dragon egg. I'm gonna hatch it!"

Lucy blinked in shock at her friend while beside her, Levy gasped. "A dragon?" Cana asked, although she didn't seem very convinced. Neither did Gray or Erza, who were normally the most skeptical group of kids in all of Fairy Tail.

Natsu, on the other hand, was adamant about his newly found dragon egg. "Just look at these markings. They look just like dragon's talons!" He carefully set the egg on top of a random, stray pillow before standing back and looking expectantly at the guild master, who eyed him suspiciously. "So, Gramps! Force the dragon to come out!"

Makarov dead-panned at the suggestion before yelling at the pink-haired boy for spouting nonsense. Natsu looked angry with him before the master interrupted, seeming more serious now. "No magic in this world is capable of creating life. Life is born from love. No magic can change that."

The children fell silent at his words, taking in what he had just said. Lucy suddenly felt around in her pockets, withdrawing the golden keys her supposed mother had left to her before leaving her to the guild. She turned them over in her hands, brown eyes thoughtful as she traced the symbols engraved in the handles. Her head jerked upwards as Natsu spoke up again, declaring that he didn't understand. Makarov only sighed at the boy before telling him that it must still be too soon for a kid like him. Natsu looked as if he didn't know whether to be offended or not.

"In other words, if you want to hatch it, you have to try your best at it. Usually, the only thing you do is wreak havoc. This should be the perfect opportunity for you to learn about giving birth to something." Erza's expression became irritated as she bent closer to the younger mage, who leaned away sheepishly. "What do you have to say for yourself for skipping your lesson today?"

"I'm sorry, Erza," Natsu grumbled, averting his gaze from her's as Gray snickered. "I just didn't feel like it today."

Erza scoffed. "That attitude's not going to get you anywhere. Come on, let's go get this egg situated so I can teach you about the proper way of-"

"Hey, Erza! I'm back, let's continue from where we left off!"

Lucy cringed at the familiar voice and turned around to see Mirajane standing at Fairy Tail's entrance, her two siblings trailing behind her. The snowy-haired she-devil always had a bone to pick with someone, especially Erza, as they were a sort of rivals. The day she and her family had gone out for a job, the two females had gotten into a fight before it was cut short by the job she had to go on. Lucy didn't understand how someone could have so much energy after a long day of work. "Come at me!" Mirajane cried, beckoning her guildmate while behind her, Lisanna complained about the constant fighting in the guild.

"Now that you mention it, we still have some unfinished business…" Erza had turned away from scolding Natsu and was now staring down her rival. "Mira!"

Mirajane smirked before launching herself at the redhead, fists poised to strike as she flew at her opponent. "Go to hell, Erza!"

Lucy grasped onto Levy beside her, who clung onto her blonde friend in return. The last thing they wanted was to get somehow involved in the fray, which was what usually happened with a rowdy group like Fairy Tail's. They had to duck when Mirajane flew over their heads and collided with a table, thrown back by a hefty punch from Erza.

"You cheeky bitch!" The she-devil snarled before standing and running back to meet Erza. She avoided another punch and used her momentum to swing her leg at the armored girl, who grunted as she was kicked into a wall. Growling, she stood back up, hurling a spare chair at Mirajane while cursing venomously at her.

"You midriff showing bitch!"

"You prickly bitch!"

"You bony bitch!"

"Fatty!"

"Four-eyed!"

Nearby, Natsu and Gray stared at the girls in disbelief, amazed by the hypocrisy Erza was showing off. "And Erza was prohibiting _us_ from fighting," Gray grumbled. "This is irritating."

"Damn it," Natsu cursed while cracking his knuckles. "Erza, Mira, one day I'll beat the hell out of you both!" Lucy let out a sigh at his words, releasing her blue-haired friend's arm after realizing she was out of harm's way. Mirajane and Erza were only bickering now, standing with their heads close together while insulting each other. In all honesty, Lucy thought it was childish of the older girls, but she wasn't about to say that to their faces. She didn't want to get thrown all the way across the dining hall by two angry mages.

"Seriously," groaned Lisanna while approaching Natsu. "If you keep on acting all high and mighty like that, no girl will fall for you." She smiled cheekily at her friend when he glared at her, saying that it was none of her business. The short-haired girl only chuckled. "Say, Natsu, is it alright for me to help you hatch the egg?"

"What? You'll help out?!" All of the annoyance drained from his features as he stared hopefully at his friend. "Sure!" Was her reply, a happy smile on her face.

Lucy, not wanting to miss out, jumped off of her chair to race over to Lisanna and Natsu. "Mind if I join in, too?" She asked, brown eyes alight with hope. Being rather unable to do much around the guild, it was seldom for her to get to participate in exciting activities. Lucy longed to be apart of something, anything, and this seemed like a golden opportunity. She might just get to help raise a dragon!

"Of course, Lucy!" Natsu chirped while Lisanna nodded enthusiastically. Lucy clapped her hands together happily before turning to look at the egg, gazing at the interesting pattern decorating the shell. It did kind of look like dragon's talons, if she viewed it that way, but to her it looked more like how you would draw wind patterns, or maybe water swirling around. She turned back around when Natsu suddenly asked, "What should we do to make it hatch?"

Lisanna rested her chin in her hand thoughtfully, mulling it over. "You need to warm it up." Her face paled when Natsu grinned deviously and didn't have time to stop him when he cried, "Warm it up? That's my specialty!", and proceeded to unleash a blast of flames from his jaws onto the egg. Lucy and Lisanna screamed at him to stop while others jumped away from the fire in order to not get scalded alive.

"Are you an idiot?!" Gray roared while knocking the egg from Natsu's hands and placing it safely back on the pillow. The fire mage glared at him, but Lucy's scolding voice made him falter. "Not like that, Natsu, you'll cook it!"

"Yes," Lisanna agreed, folding her arms across her chest. Natsu rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, feeling silly for nearly burning his discovery. Lucy shook her head hopelessly at the boy, while Lisanna declared that she would be using her own magic to keep it warm. "Take Over, Animal Soul!" In a flash of glittering light, the girl became a multi-colored bird. She fluttered onto the egg, curling her wings around it in attempt to keep it cozy. Lucy marveled at her friend's abilities and had to force down a hint of jealousy she felt at Lisanna's ability to control her powers smoothly.

. . .

Later on that day, the trio had moved the egg to the Magnolia South Gate Park. Lisanna had transformed into a bird again and was now sitting in the same position she had at the guild. Natsu was staring at the egg intensely, not wanting to miss the moment when the egg finally hatched. Lucy sat idly by, reading the same book she had when Natsu first came with the egg that morning.

"This is starting to get uncomfortable," Lisanna groaned, though Natsu paid no mind to her complaint. Lucy looked up for a moment, eyeing the egg before asking if she would like her to take over. The white-haired girl's blue eyes brightened at the offer, morphing back to her human state before standing up to lift the egg. As soon as her fingers brushed the shell, it suddenly fidgeted. Their eyes all widened, Natsu exclaiming, "The egg moved!"

Then it shot up, nailing Lisanna right in the chin. The girl shrieked in shock and Lucy rushed over to help her friend up. They watched as the egg started floating around, heading oddly towards Natsu. The boy snatched it up and stared at it, confused as to why it had came over to him instead.

"I think it likes you, Natsu," Lucy half-teased while pulling Lisanna to her feet. "Could it be that it wants you to warm it up instead?"

"Huh, me?"

"Yeah, it seems happy!" Lisanna piped in while brushing her pink dress off.

The pink-headed boy looked at the egg, awe filling his dark orbs. "So, do you want to be with me?" The egg gave a tiny noise in reply, causing his mouth to spread in a wide grin. "It made a noise!"

Natsu hugged the egg tighter and Lucy couldn't help but smile. Lisanna smiled at the egg as well before an idea suddenly popped into her head. A little gasp escaped her when she suggested, "Why don't we make a home for the egg?"

Lucy hopped up and down in excitement. "That's a perfect idea!" Lisanna blinked gratefully at her while Natsu voiced his agreement. "It'll be a secret base!" He crowed, lifting the egg above his head as if it were some kind of trophy.

Lucy was already hurrying away, filled with ideas of just what they would create. "Let's go and get started before the sun goes down!"

It took them some time to find the perfect place. They all had decided it needed to be in a recluse area, somewhere no one else could find it. It was, after all, a secret base. They were very particular with their searching, ultimately choosing the surrounding forest to be the home's location. It was a ways out, somewhere that not many frequented. Lucy traveled this area and knew it like the back of her hand, but its beauty never ceased to amaze her.

Natsu's first plan of using a bunch of boulders as a shelter hadn't worked as well as he hoped. A few seconds after finishing, the structure collapsed completely, unable to support the hefty roof the boy had tried giving it. Lucy was secretly relieved that their base wasn't going to be a drafty, dark den made of rock.

"Let me have a try," Lisanna persisted as Natsu cleaned up the rubble. "I have a great transformation for this one." Lucy had already agreed that it was best for the girl to try, but convincing Natsu was another thing.

"Fine," the young slayer finally grumbled, dusting his hands off after completing the cleanup. "Go ahead, I don't mind."

Lisanna smiled before suddenly becoming a giant, purple rabbit. Lucy and Natsu gawked at her, saying, "You're huge!"

"I'm just a rabbit," the newly-transformed mage huffed before turning around. "Hold on for a bit," she instructed before going off to begin working on the egg's new shelter.

"Awesome! All I can do is break stuff." Lucy released a giggle at Natsu's statement, amused by how accurate he was. At the same time, however, she felt a familiar twinge of envy, wishing that she was able to help out some way with her magic. She felt useless just standing there, although she did have the job of carrying the egg around.

After some minutes of waiting, the two children's attention was drawn by the voice of Lisanna calling, "Tada!" Turning away from their chat, their eyes widened at the simple but expertly done hut she had created using straw and sticks. Rushing forward, Natsu praised his friend loudly while Lucy followed more slowly behind, careful to not drop the egg. "Hurry up, come on in!" Lisanna called before becoming human once more.

"It's spacious when you get inside," Lucy commented while ducking in, Natsu nodding in agreement. "Great job, Lisanna!"

The short-haired girl blushed at her female friend's compliment. "Isn't it? Anyway, let's have a seat."

The trio settled down on the hay mat pillowing the ground, Lucy setting the egg in the center of them all. "This shelter should protect it from anything," the blonde remarked determinedly, sitting back once the egg was in position.

"We're like a family now," Lisanna mused, her hands placed on her knees while looking at her friends. Lucy smiled softly in response, however Natsu looked perplexed. "What does that mean?" Perhaps Erza hadn't taught him that word just yet, Lucy assumed.

"Well, the mommies, daddy and baby are here, right?"

Lucy didn't miss the blush dusting his cheeks as he replied, "Yeah, I guess that's one way to look at it!" Nor the rosiness emerging in Lisanna's. She smirked at the two briefly before looking back at the egg. "We should probably get to warming it up, you know," she pointed out, scooting closer to the object. Her two friends blinked at her before following in suit, almost forgetting what the whole point of building the shelter was. They all huddled around it, the warmth radiating from it making Lucy sleepy.

"It moved again!"

"I hope it'll hatch soon."

They were all unaware of the figure standing afar, peering intently into the entrance before disappearing promptly.

"The egg! It's gone!"

Lucy shot up in her sleeping bag to see Natsu pacing around the hut, a panicked look in his eyes. Sure enough, the large egg they had been protecting was nowhere to be found, the only sign of it left being the dent in the hay it had made on the ground. Lisanna woke up more slowly, however her eyes flew open the moment she realized that the item was missing.

"Where could it have gone?" Lucy murmured as she walked outside to look with the shrubbery surrounding their hut. "Could it have hatched and ran away?"

"The shell would have remained," Lisanna pointed out, coming to stand beside the blonde. "Someone must have stolen it."

Natsu finally burst out of the den, smoke rolling from his lips in his raging state. "It's gotta be someone from the guild! They must be jealous that we have a dragon egg and they don't!"

Lucy and Lisanna exchanged a doubtful look, but followed as Natsu sped away into the forest and on to the guild.

. . .

From the moment he kicked open the doors, Natsu was already accusing guild members of thievery. Everyone he asked, however, denied stealing the egg. Laxus didn't care enough, Cana and Gray didn't know, Erza was confused, Mira said Natsu probably ate it, which caused the fire mage to hurl himself at the older wizard. Lisanna's sister wrestled him as he continued to accuse her of a crime she didn't commit.

"Guys!" Lucy cried pleadingly, looking irritated with her guildmates. "Please stop! They obviously didn't take it, we need to actually look for it!" Her protests fell on deaf ears as more people became involved in the fight. Beside her, Lisanna sniffled, and Lucy rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

As Mirajane and Erza began bickering about how either of them must have eaten it, Cana suddenly spoke up. "Come to think of it, didn't Elfman say something about wanting an egg like that?" All eyes turned on the brunette, who cringed back uncomfortably.

"Did he eat it?" Natsu shouted angrily, still heated from the fight that had finally ended. Lisanna shook her head desperately, refusing to believe that her sweet brother would do such a thing.

"Natsu, Lucy, Lisanna, I'm sorry.."

Lucy turned away from the group to see Elfman hauling the large egg into the guildhall. Her brown eyes widened; Cana had been right! "So it _was_ you, Elfman," Natsu growled, still displeased that his discovery had been abducted in the night.

"I didn't steal it," Elfman told them honestly, peering from behind the egg. "It's cold at night, and Natsu tosses and turns in his sleep, so the egg was being neglected." Lucy turned an irritated glare at the pink-haired boy, who blushed sheepishly under her stare.

"I can't use magic very well, but I secretly warmed the egg up by myself."

"Thank you!" Lisanna cried while bouncing up and down. Natsu agreed, saying that her brother was truly manly for doing something like that for his little sister. Lucy thanked him as well with a small hug, which he returned after he passed the egg onto Natsu. As soon as he did, the egg finally began to crack.

Gasps emitted from the group, all leaning in to observe the possible hatching of a dragon. Natsu looked the most excited of them all, understandably so, bobbing on his toes as he waited to see what could emerge from the shell. Lucy clung onto his sleeve, brown eyes wide as the cracking began growing.

"I-It's hatching!"

The commotion was beginning to be noticed by the more skeptical guildmates and as they wandered over, their eyes also rounded in awe. Finally, the egg burst, and a blue, glowing object flew into the air. Though it dazzled their eyes, the guild couldn't help but stare as a newborn dragon appeared-

Wait, that was no dragon. It was a blue cat with wings!

Natsu, Lucy, and Lisanna's grins widened as the small animal fluttered around before ultimately landing on top of Natsu's head. Lucy laughed at the sight; the creature really had preferred Natsu from the start! After a moment, the bird-like wings vanished and the cat hopped up and squeaked out, "Aye!"

"It's so cute!" Lisanna squealed while Lucy cooed at it. The rest of the guild began gathering around to marvel at the flying cat, truly amazed that something actually had hatched from the strange egg.

"Look, Natsu," Lucy suddenly said, grabbing Natsu's sleeve once more. "Everyone's so happy because of the cat." Lisanna came and stood by them, gently stroking the magical creature's head. "He's like a bluebird of happiness," she crooned as the cat purred in Natsu's arms.

"Happiness, huh," Natsu murmured thoughtfully. After a moment, he announced loudly, "Then I'll name it Happy!"

The cat's blue ear twitched at the name and its eyes opened, clearly approving the title as he declared, "Aye!" The trio all giggled at the tiny animal, Natsu cuddling it close to his chest lovingly while everyone else chatted around him. Then Happy was raised into the air and was paraded around the guild, while Natsu chanted, "Happy the dragon!", and Happy would promptly follow with a spirited, "Aye!"

* * *

 _And that concluded chapter two of CoF! I enjoyed writing this chapter, although I didn't change much from the actual episode/chapter._

 _I can't believe this already have 23+ follows! That was fast, wasn't it? I didn't think so many people would be interested that quickly, but I'm glad y'all are._

 _Thank you for reading! If you or new or are a returning reader, don't forget to follow, favorite, and/or review!_

 _Until next time,_

 _fairlystrange._


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three: Gone**_

* * *

August 7th, X782.

* * *

"Happy birthday, Lucy!"

The guild cheered as the blonde teenager blew out the fifteen candles placed on top of the cake, sending smoke billowing into the air. She smiled as her friends crowded around to hug her, squawking as Erza slammed her head against her chest. "Happy fifteenth, Lucy," she congratulated before moving aside to let Gray by. The raven-haired boy was, as always, without a shirt, but Lucy was used to it by now and eagerly returned his embrace. "Thanks, Erza, Gray!"

"Lucy!" The celestial mage spun around to see one of her best friends, Levy, rushing toward her with a wrapped item in her hand. The girl's dark eyes brightened as she met the blunette, peering curiously at the item. "Here," Levy panted, as she had sprinted across the guildhall to get to her. "Open it."

Lucy obeyed, excitedly tearing into the gift. She was pleased to see a lovely leather-bound journal with floral engravings and a matching pen beside it. "It's beautiful, Levy," she breathed, marveling at the colors of the stitches. Her friend beamed at her, opening her mouth to tell her about the present when she was interrupted by a certain fire mage. The pink-haired teen nearly bowled Lucy over in a bear hug, his signature grin plastered on his face. "Happy birthday, Lucy!"

Groaning, the blonde shoved him off of her, although the smile on her face betrayed her complaints. "Thanks, Natsu," she said before Happy collided with her, also giving his birthday wishes. She hugged the small blue cat to her chest, enormously happy to have such good friends around for a time like this.

Someone cleared their throat to get the guild's attention when the guild doors suddenly swung open, interrupting Makarov's announcement he was planning to make. At the doors stood Mirajane and Elfman, a wild look in their eyes along with tears. The crowd of people fell silent and Lucy had a feeling she wouldn't like what she was about to hear.

Mirajane's words were unintelligible at first. Most likely from shock, Lucy guessed, but the tears raining from her eyes would also be hard to talk over. The two siblings looked a mess, their clothes tattered and their skin covered in scratches and bruises.

"Lisanna…. Lisanna, she… she.."

Lucy's heart clenched in her chest. That's what was wrong. Lisanna wasn't with them. Her breathing was becoming rapid as she began summing everything up in her head.

"Lisanna's dead."

Elfman's words dropped in the guild like a stone, silencing any muttering that had previously been going on. The muscular boy's shoulders were shaking from quiet sobs and he refused to look his guildmates in the eyes. "She… she died on our mission."

Silence continued as everyone stared at the siblings in utter shock, unable to comprehend the fact that the cheery Take Over mage was gone. Lucy's hands were shaking so much that she found it hard to keep a grip on the presents Levy had given her.

"...you're lying," a voice whispered. Natsu was staring at Elfman and Mirajane with wide eyes, entire body frozen beside his shaking hands. "She can't be dead, she promised she would be back soon…"

Lucy didn't realize that she was crying when she suddenly felt something wet roll down her cheek; she wiped the tear away and winced as Happy dug his claws into her shirt.

"It's true," Mirajane choked out. "The beast we were fighting killed her. She- she-"

The girl was unable to finish her sentence as her sobs overtook her words and Elfman had to guide her away from the front door. Disbelieving mutters broke out among the crowd, while Lisanna's closest friends couldn't manage a word at the situation.

"Party's over," Makarov suddenly announced, looking quite grave as he looked down from his perch. "Don't try approaching the Strauss' for now, you can grieve with them later. I need to speak with them first." Without another word, the old man hopped off of the table and followed after the two upset mages who had disappeared into a hallway. Lucy watched after him numbly, unsure of what to do with the news they had just received. She let Happy untangle himself from her arms so he could go comfort Natsu, who was still stiff from shock.

The blonde tentatively approached him, unsure of his reaction but wanting to somehow comfort her best friend. She gently rested a hand on his shoulder and he flinched under her touch. His head snapped around to look at her and she winced at the cold fire in his eyes. "Leave me alone," he growled, shrugging her hand off before racing out of the guildhall and into the pouring rain. Lucy looked after him with round, hurt eyes, before she turned away and let out a loud sob.

It was supposed to be her birthday, a happy day for the entire guild . She didn't notice Levy wrapping her arms around her, nor Cana coming to comfort her as she cried, unable to stop the tears that kept on flowing. Now everyone's day was ruined, especially Lucy's. Why, on all days? Why, out of all people, did Lisanna have to die?

* * *

. . .

* * *

Mirajane and Elfman sat, hunched over, in Master Makarov's office, the only sound being the rain pattering outdoors. The storm continued to rage on, although its intensity had died down after awhile. The gloom was only putting a bigger damper on their moods even if they weren't entirely aware of it at the moment.

The leader had let the two siblings mourn together for some time before finally asking for their attention. He'd asked them what exactly had happened and it was obviously painful for them to say anything, as they were still quietly getting their thoughts together.

Mirajane, being the eldest and seeing it as a responsibility, was the one to open her mouth to speak. As she did so, she rested her palm on her brother's broad back in silent reassurance. She moved her silvery bangs from her eyes before beginning, "As you know, my siblings and I were taking the job of ridding a town of a monster that was terrorizing and destroying it. The beast was very powerful and difficult for even the three of us to try and take down. T-Things started going south when Elfman tried to use his Take Over magic on it to make it stop." Makarov raised his eyebrows as the white-haired boy flinched at her words.

"...it didn't go as planned. The monster was too powerful and wouldn't succumb to the magic, all the while not letting Elfman break free. I-it wasn't his fault, it really wasn't, he just wasn't able to overcome it-"

"Mirajane," the tiny old man interrupted gently, looking into the girl's eyes.

The snowy-haired girl blinked hastily, making the tears welling up vanish once more as she nodded. "Lisanna thought it would help if he could see something he loved. That it would make Elfman, or the beast, stop. I tried stopping her, but she wouldn't listen to me…" Her voice was beginning to quiver again as she continued. "It didn't work. The creature… it hurled her away with a single sweep of it's claws. I had to find her somewhere in the woods. I thought that maybe, if I was fast, I could have gotten to her in time to save her, but I wasn't quick enough. She… she died in my arms."

The mage broke down once more, a complete mess as the other occupants of the room let her cry. Her younger brother wasn't crying anymore, but Makarov could almost taste the guilt and sadness coming off of him in waves.

Mirajane raised her head once more, sniffling as she wiped her face dry with her arm. "Elfman eventually came back into control, after I had to kill the actual monster," she blubbered, trying to recompose herself. "Then we came back here to deliver the news." Her blue eyes grew round with guilt as she realized, "Sorry for ruining Lucy's birthday, we didn't mean to."

Makarov shook his head at her, almost exasperated with her. "Everyone, including Lucy, doesn't care about the party as much as they care about your sister. Don't feel sorry at all." The brother and sister nodded in unison, feeling relieved that no one was angry with them.

After another moment, the guild master's brow furrowed with confusion. He leaned forward a little bit, glancing at the two tear-stained faces. "If Lisanna is dead, where is the body?"

They each looked a bit taken aback by the question; Elfman actually had no idea. Mirajane and him had left after the monster was gone and his sister hadn't brought back one when she returned. He glanced at the girl, glimpsing at the fresh tears sprouting in her oceanic orbs.

"She disappeared, quite literally," Mirajane whispered as water droplets stained her black mini-skirt. "Dissolved into light as she passed in my arms. I-I honestly don't know why… it just happened that way." Admittedly, she was afraid of what exactly had become of Lisanna's body, since she knew that was definitely not how people die.

The man frowned at her words and decided she was being truthful. Not that he didn't trust the pair, he just was surprised that they hadn't returned with the young girl's body to bury later on. He released a long sigh before smiling weakly at the two, who couldn't even try to return it. "Go get some rest," he instructed, standing in his chair. "We will have a ceremony tonight, if you're up for it."

The siblings thought for a moment before Mirajane gave a miniscule nod. "Don't let too many people come, though," she murmured, barely audible as she spoke. "I don't want to make a spectacle out of my sister's death."

* * *

. . .

* * *

Later on in the evening found Lucy curled up in her bed, wrapped in blankets and clutching her special keys in her hands. Hot tears rolled down her flushed face as she stroked the warm metal, giving her only the slightest bit of comfort as she grieved. On her bedside table, a picture frame was placed on its face, hiding the photo of the blonde with two of her closest friends, all crowded around a certain blue animal. She normally cherished the item, but now couldn't bear to look at it.

The celestial mage jumped at the sudden crash of thunder; the storm wasn't letting up as they had previously assumed. It was as if the heavens were mourning for Lisanna, too, expressing it by a truly fitting night. Lucy never enjoyed storms, but her disliking was stronger than ever that night. She wished she could just wake up from this bad dream and have things go back to normal, but she knew that was childish of her to wish for.

After Natsu had ran out of the guild, Lucy had taken solace in Levy and Cana, who stayed with her until she needed some alone time. Never in Lucy's life had she experienced loss like this and she hadn't been at all ready to on her birthday. That morning, she had been so excited for the party and had taken time to make herself look extra fancy for the occasion. It wasn't everyday you turn fifteen. She had been surprised by Makarov and Laxus with a breakfast with the two alone, which had been wonderful since she felt like she never got to spend personal time with them anymore. After going out on the town with them until noon, she returned to find Lisanna and her siblings going out on a job. The girl had been disappointed that she was missing Lucy's party, but had already been set to go on the mission and couldn't back out. Understanding completely, Lucy had wished them goodbye before going back to help set up for the celebration. She hadn't been too sad because Lisanna had promised that she would come home as soon as possible. She hadn't anticipated that the snowy haired girl's promise would be unwillingly broken that day.

Lucy let out a sigh as she rolled over in her bed, unable to subdue the tears pooling in her eyes. Oh, how she wanted to see Lisanna again. She couldn't believe that she was gone. It happened so suddenly. Lucy never really considered death at her young age, it was like she believed nothing like that could happen to someone who hadn't properly lived their life out just yet.

She could only imagine how Natsu must feel. The boy might've been even closer to Lisanna than anyone else, excluding her siblings. The blonde used to tease that they would one day be married, which always made them blush and squirm. She had been the first to offer Natsu help in raising Happy, the one that held the group of four together even when they got on each other's nerves. She always encouraged Lucy when she felt badly about her magic and always was willing to help train with her friends. And on Natsu's worst days of missing Igneel, she would do everything to make him feel better and it always worked. No wonder he had lashed out at Lucy when the news first hit him. It had hurt at first, but the female mage understood what he was feeling and needed to be alone. She didn't blame him.

A soft knocking on her door made her jump. "Lucy? May I come in?"

For a moment, the girl hesitated, but she gave the visitor permission to come into her room anyways. The door handle clicked as it was turned and in came Natsu and Happy. The pinkette's eyes were dull with grief as well as the cat's, making Lucy's heart ache. She unraveled herself from the blankets and leaped at the boy, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. He tensed briefly before returning the embrace, nearly crushing the blonde to his chest. He could feel something wet against his skin and it took everything in him to not break down, too.

After a moment, Lucy pulled away, rubbing away her tears. She smiled weakly as Happy approached and bent down to lift him up. The small animal purred comfortingly to the blonde, making her feel more at ease.

"Sorry for earlier," Natsu mumbled, his voice sounding almost shaky. Lucy shook her head at him, assuring him that she wasn't upset with him. A look of relief graced his face before his friend beckoned him to sit on her bed with her. The slayer obliged, plopping wearily onto the mattress. His gaze traveled to Lucy's nightstand, his heart sinking when he saw that she had set the picture of him and his best friends on its face. It was obvious that seeing the image of Lisanna was too painful for her right now.

Lucy sat next to him, cuddling Happy close to her as she stared blearily at the floor. "Are you ok, Lucy?" the blue cat asked, blinking up at the blonde. The girl only nodded quietly, but her expression said otherwise. Natsu could see that the fact that her birthday had been ruined was weighing heavily on her. He rested a hand of comfort on her shoulder and she didn't resist, like he had earlier. He felt another pant of guilt but didn't say anything. Lucy had forgiven him and he was grateful for that.

"Lucy, I'm sorry about your birthday," the pinkette said softly. He was trying to help make her feel a little better, but was dismayed to see tears forming in her chocolatey orbs once more. Her lips were trembling as she spoke, "Please don't mention my birthday anymore. I honestly don't care, I only care about what happened to Lisanna. It's… it's not fair." Her voice finally broke and with a sob, she leaned onto Natsu's shoulder, her own shaking as she cried. "Why did she have to go?"

Natsu grimaced and Happy buried himself deeper in Lucy's arms. He glanced over at the window, observing the rain, then at the face-down picture frame on the desk. Even without seeing the real thing, he could picture the moment clearly. It was the day Happy had hatched, and Lucy, Lisanna, Natsu, and Happy had their photo taken to treasure the memory.

"I don't know Lucy, I don't know."

* * *

The rain reduced to a drizzle as the sun sank into the forest beyond, sending purple-red hues on the receding clouds. Natsu was growing irritated with the rain, as he only had half of an umbrella that he shared with Lucy. He was more careful of making sure she stayed relatively dry.

At the front of the crowd, he had a perfect view of the gravestone that was prepared for Lisanna. Etched into the stone, it read, "Lisanna, beloved sister and friend to animal souls. X768 ~ X782." Just looking at it made him frown. He shouldn't be reading it in the first place.

Beside the grave stood Mirajane and Elfman, dressed in all black like the rest of the funeral attendees. Mirajane held an umbrella over her hand with her left hand while her right arm was in cast. Elfman shared the same injury, as well as some wrapping covering his left eye. Their physical injuries weren't good, but nothing could compare to the damage to their mental state. Both looked distraught and upset. Natsu felt a stab of pity for the pair, wishing he had been there to stop Lisanna himself.

He had heard the story from Makarov when he made a short announcement on what happened. He didn't go into too much detail, not wanting to upset anyone further. The Strauss siblings had went home after meeting with the master to recuperate and prepare for the small funeral they hastily threw together to honor their fallen sister. After first hearing the news, Natsu had ran off into the woods in utter shock and panic, not knowing how to take it, which he now regretted. He obviously had hurt Lucy's feelings when he got unnecessarily angry at her. He went back and stayed with the blonde to apologize, let her cry to him for comfort and let his own emotions out until it was time to go to the funeral.

Mirajane's uncharacteristically soft voice broke the young mage from his thoughts. "Lisanna will be missed. She was a light to everyone in the guild and wasn't afraid to speak for what she believed in. She loved everyone and everything she met and always found her way through every problem." Lucy and Natsu spotted the silver-haired girl's lip trembling as she continued. "She didn't deserve to pass so soon, but she wouldn't want us to mope around and wishing to turn back time. We must move on and keep her as a positive memory, like she would want us to do."

A quiet murmur of agreement met her final words and Natsu caught Lucy staring at the girl. Was she surprised that the normally aggressive mage had spoken in such a way? He knew he was, but was grateful for it. Mirajane pointed out something very true; Lisanna would not like her friends being so sorrowful about her death. She would want them to live on happily, even with how much it hurt.

Lucy shuffled forwards with her friend to the headstone, smiling softly as tears slipped down her cheeks. "Goodbye, Lisanna," she whispered to the grave, resting a bouquet of white lilies on top of it. "Thank you for the memories." With a final farewell, the blonde stepped away to let others give their condolences, looking to the sky and wondering if a certain white-haired girl was watching from the heavens above.

* * *

 _i'm on a roll with this story. this chapter is a LOT more depressing than it's preceding ones, sorry about that. her death will be important in this story, later on, although i'm hesitant to do an alternate world arc. the edolas arc wasn't my favorite, haha, although i loved that lisanna was brought back._

 _if you're new or a returning reader, don't forget to follow, favorite, and/or review! thank you for reading!_

 _until next time,_

 _fairlystrange._


End file.
